Town of Chilmark, MA - Planning Board Subcommittee Minutes 03/28/16

Planning Board Subcommittee Minutes 03/28/16

APPROVED

Chilmark Planning Board Subcommittee Meeting

Monday, March 28, 2016

Present: Janet Weidner, Chair, Joan Malkin, John Eisner

Not Present: Jennifer Christy, Administrative Asst.

Public: Peter Cook

Staff: Jennifer L. Christy, Tim Carroll

Meeting called to order at 3:00PM:

Discussion occurred regarding next steps in the long-term planning for Menemsha.
Ms. Weidner suggested ways that the issue of planning for Menemsha may be framed so that the Planning Board may usefully contribute to the outcome. Ms. Weidner stated she had attempted to identify all the ‘stakeholders’ in the area. She also stated she had tried to frame a planning view from the position of town entities’ interests.
It was discussed how to frame a plan that would identify the current state of Menemsha , the issues that must be dealt with, and what the town would like Menemsha to be in the future.
Ms. Malkin suggested that guiding principles be identified for long-term planning in Menemsha in order to provide direction. Ms. Malkin emphasized that the Board will need to agree on the long-term planning ideas it generates and be able to communicate those ideas very clearly. Ms. Malkin stated the Board would need to have a statement of a vision for the planning and she suggested the following reasons why the Board will want to plan long-term and communicate this planning to Town entities:
Manage growth
Protect environmental resources and character
Establish priorities

Provide guidance to Town developers, businesses, permitting authorities, land-owners, etc…

Ms. Malkin noted various data, information and tasks that would be needed in order to commence and complete long-term planning:

Exploration of the possibility of the area of Menemsha becoming a DCPC (District of Critical Planning Concern) and zoning bylaw changes
A compilation of hard-data (town records, MVC records, minutes, plans, etc…) and soft-data (input from other Boards, committees or commissions at meetings)
Survey results and/or new electronic survey

Ms. Malkin suggested the establishment of a Committee to address long-term planning in Menemsha and that it could be comprised of 5-8 members and noted these salient points re a committee:

Stakeholders would be included in the committee membership.
There should be regular meeting times.
The agendas should reflect the actual events for the current meeting.
The committee members should meet with the MVC staff to glean information.
Each member should be informed by a ‘background’ data binder so that each member begins at the same starting point.
A project website should be established.
Consultants would be identified.

Mr. Eisner inquired whether the Board is working from the point of starting from a ‘blank slate’ in long-term planning for Menemsha or is this more of a plan to mitigate the problems that are currently apparent in the area. Mr. Eisner continued to state that the input from the committee should be directed at improving the usability of Menemsha.

Ms. Weidner noted the importance of first identifying who uses Menemsha, what it is and does and what people want from it.
Ms. Weidner suggested that the Board try to think as broadly as possible so that as many problem areas in Menemsha may be addressed as possible.
Mr. Eisner stated a good starting point might be to identify what is wrong with Menemsha and then make a plan to mitigate the problem areas.
Mr. Cook suggested that the Board may want to begin by looking at the assets of Menemsha and how to enhance those assets without building up the problem areas.

One identified ‘asset’ is the off-site parking area. How may that asset continue to be enhanced so that the result is an improved Menemsha?

Mr. Carroll noted that stakeholders, regarding Menemsha, are numerous. He further noted that the Chilmark Master Plan says that a priority of the Town is to make the fishing village as viable as possible. Mr. Carroll noted that the 17 transient slips were originally established in order to fund the needs of the harbor so that the rest of the slips, for commercial fishermen, could be subsidized.
Ms. Weidner requested that Ms. Christy put together a background binder:

Town meeting votes re the Homeport and the plan to have a parking lot abutting Menemsha Inn in exchange for a Pasture Hill Road buildable lot
MVC ‘waterfront’ plan
Population/foot traffic data for Menemsha
History of pedestrian traffic plans in Menemsha
Food trucks, peddlers, town bylaw information
Last survey for the Master Plan
Kayak access in Menemsha
AQ ownership in Menemsha
Gas station information
Town purchase of Menemsha lots in 1944
Coast Guard ownership in Menemsha
Commercial fisherman lots are 10$ a year, the Town-owned lots with fish shops are 1000$ a year lease.

Mr. Cook suggested that a focus on the traffic situation may affect all of the other issues.
Ms. Weidner stated there is still a need to understand the uses of Menemsha and what townspeople want to use Menemsha for in the future.
Mr. Carroll suggested a project to look at the resource area in the Menemsha beach and dune area and consolidate the path system.

Mr. Eisner stated that the input from other Boards/Committees may not be useful now but would be useful later on.
Mr. Carroll stated that the other committees, such as the Park & Rec committee, have control over areas in Menemsha and would be interested in joining a conversation about Menemsha.
Ms. Weidner suggested a survey to send out as well.
Ms. Malkin suggested requesting the involvement of representatives of town committees/Boards.
Mr. Carroll suggested that great thought be given to the make-up of the committee to plan for Menemsha in order to ensure that stakeholders are invited and involved.

Mr. Cook suggested that a defined plan be developed as a beginning point. He described the development of a paper document that identifies the problem, or objective and assumptions, then lists the pro and cons on the issues or main points of concern. He further noted that this would more easily lead into an executive summary of the work of the committee.
Mr. Carroll reiterated the value of a consultant who would address the development of an updated Master Plan for Menemsha. Ms. Weidner agreed that there is a need for a look at the type of plan that the Board may be looking for and agreed that a consultant would be useful to identify the different templates that may be used to frame the problems and the action plan.
Ms. Malkin suggested that stakeholders representative of certain constituencies are not necessarily needed on the committee, but rather just more people to arrive at smart, long-term ideas.
Ms. Malkin suggested that a letter be sent to the committees above to ask if there are members who would be interested in serving on the subcommittee. Ms. Malkin stated she would write a draft letter that would be sent to the other Boards/committees.
Ms. Malkin asked that a map of Menemsha with lot lines and property owners be provided.

Minutes respectfully submitted by Jennifer L. Christy